Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-10-03

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-The secretary of
tie interior has received through the war
department a report from Gen. Crook of
the. Department. of the Platte, on the re-
cent Indian troubles ia Colorado. The
troubles arcsc, says Gen. Crook, from at.
temptsmade by Colorado officials to serve
warrants on certain Ute Indians for al
legged stealing of horses and for violation
of the state game law. The report says
that in Garfield county, the scene of the dis
trubances, there have been living a num-
Der of men who obtain a livelihood by
gambling with the Indians. The GUS
toms Of these men has been to buy horses
of the Indians and then regain possession
of the money by playing monte or some
other gambling game. In April last two
men who had obtained a herd of horses
from the Indians, either by purchase or
by gambling, stopped at Glenwood
Springs, where two Of the horses were
claimed as having been stolen. While
protesting their innocence of the theft
the indians gave to the men two other
horses in place of those which they had
been obliged to surrender to the claim
ants.
Laterson the Ute game warden of Col
orado obtained evidence against the In
dams for violation of the game laws.
Warrants were duly issued to the sheriff
and to the game warden for the arrest of
several of Colorowis band. The game
warden, with a posse, Immediately
started for the Indian camp, where,
without any explanation of their object
Eor mission, they seized several of the
bucks, who succeeded in breaking away,
L sd ~ A ILL., .--L - rs *. -
/ sought cover in the brush. The posse
fred at the retreating Indians, %wounding
Big Frank and two others. The posse
retired and united forces with Sheriff
| KENDALL Hearing of an Indian camp on
Coal Creek, the sheriff dispatched a num-
Der of his company to 1t. The squaws
and children who occupied the camp, on
seeing the whites approach, abandoned
it. The posse burned the tepe and d
large quantity of buckskin.
From this time until the close of hos
%tilities the whites, says the report, were
| the aggressors and fred first. On the
24th of August the whites surprised Col
crows camp and Immediately opened
fire. Thu Indians seized their guns and
for three hours and a half kept the
| whites at bay and covered the retreat Of
their women and children and that this
time the whites numbered fully 1870, the
Indians not more twenty five. This at
tack the whites excuse on the ground
that the Indians t.trickedn them in
breaking camp when they had promised
to await the arrival of the "Big White
Chief" In this engagement the Indi-
ans lost one boy killed and one buck and
one squawi wounded. The whites lost
three men killed and several wounded.
Up to this time five Indians have died
of wounds, one buck, one large boy, one
small boy md two little girls. Seven
others were wounded, one perhaps NOR
tally.
Chief Colorow, says Gen. Crook, did
not desires at all to fight, aud made use
Of his weapons in self-defense only for
his women and children and his herds.
On the first intimation Of trouble he
broke camp and started his herds for the
reservation, never stopping except for
night The report severely criticises the
action of the Colorado authorities, and
saysst the warrants could have teen served
without trouble had the service been
properly Undertaken. The whites, dur
ing the few days of the trouble, drove off
and dfspersed,a Herd of abonfl300 horses
and $500 sheep and goats.
Hl4 HmL LAE s.